Bored? Facebook Invites You To A Local Happening
Facebook Events have become my de facto party planner. Okay, when I say “party,” I really mean “a quiet place to drink coffee and read and pray no one talks to me.” Regardless of what “party” means to you, I guarantee you’ll find some interesting events near you just by using Facebook Events.
Typically, I look at Facebook Events for two reasons. 1) A friend is “Interested” in something, so Facebook displays the event in my news feed. 2) I’m bored, the kids are turning into gamer zombies, and I don’t want to drop a small fortune on an animated movie that, really, no one wants to see.
That’s when I turn to Facebook Events!
What is a Facebook Event?
Anyone can create a Facebook Event. You can create an Event for a party or a family reunion. I create Events for my Girl Scout Troop for every meeting and outing we have. Restaurants, theaters and other businesses create Events for special occasions, sales and anything they want to promote. They can be private events or public.
Why create a Facebook Event? A few reasons.
- The format is always the same, so people know where to find the date, times and location for easy reference.
- Facebook gives your Event its own space for RSVPs, comments and discussions, and any additional information you want to give.
- You’ll be able to track anything to do with that Event by going to the Event’s page.
- The fourth — and very best — reason is that when you create a public Event, Facebook users in your area will see it, and those who are interested or RSVP’d “Yes” will be reminded of it frequently.
I discovered the beauty of Facebook Events a few years ago. I created one for our Girl Scout Troop’s cookie drive-thru. We had customers who showed up just because it came up in their Facebook news feed! Cha ching!
How to Find Facebook Events
Here’s how to find something to do near you, depending whether you’re using Facebook on your computer or your mobile device. We’re going to look at Facebook Events on your mobile device. (I have an iPhone, so if you have a different phone, your screens may look slightly different.)
Obviously, log into Facebook. You should see your news feed, the one you see when you click Home.
In the bottom, right corner of your screen you’ll see three dashed lines. That’s a menu. Tap it. You should see something like this pop-up menu.
Scroll down a bit to “Events.” Tap it.
Now you should see your main Events screen. If you previously tapped “Interested” on any events, or you RSVP’d “Yes” to any Events, they will be listed here. Don’t fret if some are missing. Tap “SEE ALL” about halfway down the screen to see all of your “Interested” and “Yes” Events.
The bar at the top says “Home,” “Calendar” and “Hosting.” Tapping “Calendar” will show you a (duh) calendar with your Events, instead of just a list. Tapping “Hosting” will show you just the Events you’re hosting, if any. Tapping “Home” will bring you back to this main screen.
Now comes the fun part! Those big, colorful buttons at the bottom of the screen are your party planners. They’re those friends who are always keeping an eye on what’s happening and nudging you to come with.
Tap “Today.” (You can always come back to this screen by tapping the back button in the upper left that looks like “<” .)
You will see Events happening near your location. As you can see on my Events list for today, there’s a local inauguration ceremony and roller skating for the kids. (Did I say “party” earlier? Hm, not so much. More of a snooze fest with some aches and pains thrown in for good measure.)
If you keep scrolling, you’ll see more Events near you. The more you scroll, the further away the Events will be.
The top bar (highlighted in hot pink) lets you look at Events happening tomorrow, this week and this weekend. Just tap one of the options to see your desired time frame.
I tapped “This Weekend” to see what’s coming up. Here’s what I got.
I love Midtown Cinema, an independent movie theater in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. So, if I tap “Interested,” Facebook will list this Event in my main Events menu. Facebook will also remind me when it’s getting close on the calendar. If I held my finger on “Interested,” I would get a dropdown menu that lets me choose “Going.” That way, the host knows how many people to expect. (Don’t be afraid of committing to an Event. You can change your Event status at any time.)
If you don’t see any Events that tickle your fancy, you can search other locations, as well as narrow your search to specific activities.
Tap “Events, Nearby” in the top, middle of your screen. Facebook will offer other locations to check out, or you can enter a specific location in the search bar (next to the magnifying glass).
Tap “Filters” in the top, right of your screen and a menu of different kinds of activities will pop up. If you’re looking for a hot game of Settlers of Catan, tap “Games.” If you’re looking for a brew fest, tap “Drinks.” You get the idea.
One of the greatest benefits of using Facebook Events is that you’ll discover stuff going on in your ‘hood that you had no idea existed. New adventures await!
Nancy Basile is a professional freelance writer who write about movies, TV, books and tech on her blog at MediaMedusa.com. Get her Guide to 75 Binge-Worthy TV Shows now for free.
Originally published at mediamedusa.com on January 3, 2018.
